Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-09

injury and would not speak. The tears
welled into her dark eyes, but she kept
them fixei on the hill behind which thu.
sun had dipped, and the tangled bars OF
changing clouds above that streaked the
| rudy skies. She never once glanced down
at the garden where Antonio was directing
the gardener.
A great cry of grief came up to Frances
cas- room from below, ard then sound OF
Annunziata sobbing and weeping.
Francesca sprang up and moved TO the
| door, but as her hand was on the handle
she paused. Francesca's heart had grown
bitter and hard under her pain. She was
angry with the Iworld, with babbo and
Antonio, angry with old Nunziata, and
most of all angry with herself. And Just
because she was angry with herself she
began to wrap a chill mantle of self-iustiti-
cation about her. She and Nunziata had
been rather estranged of late, and the last
few days Francesca said to herself that An
nunziata had been unkind and sulky.
Oh, yes, that was it. She was as sullen
as it was possible to be. She had hardly
spoken word. Francesca liked TO be
| spoilt and implored, although she turned
/
| Now, Annunziata had some trouble. All,
she, too, would know the dreadful torment
of suffering when all around was smiling
with glee, smiling and reckoning. Come.
be happy, be happy
Annunziata would now understand a
little of her pain. But onlya little, for the
old cannot feel with those awful vivid
throbs which rend the eager being of the
young. So Francesca turned back with
her worst feelings uppermost, and plunged
| her little hands about in the grain for her
| doves. Let Annunziata come to her II she
wished for sympathy, and she made the
grain slip through her fingers in golden
streams Why did Annunziata sob so bit
| terly? Such a pain began to creep about
Francesca's heart Presently she heard
Annunziata coming up the stairs, sobbing
all the while. Francesca's heart throbbed
very fast.
Annunziata opened the door and came in
with coffee and brioche on tray. Her
face was convulsed and lips twitched. She
did not try to hide the disarray OF her
grief but set the tray on the table near
Francesca without word and turned and
| left the room. AS she shut the door, Fran
cesca stood abashed for moment, then
she sprang after her and called in the pas
sages in vibrating voice:
Annunziata !"
"Signorina," replied the nurse.
Annunziata, come back !" cried Fran
cesca, in an imperative tone. Annunziata
| followed Francesca back to her room.
Nunziata, what is the matter? Why
! don't you speak to me?
"Ah, signorina, why should l tell you
my sorrow? ?" said the old nurse with
mournful gentleness. You care no more
for us, nor our joys and woes. You drive
US away from you with cold words. When
| come in here do not find the dear little
angel of old, ready with smile and kiss
for her old nurse, but proud, harsh sig
norma, who has forgotten all her faithful
friends"
Nunzata, it you who have been I'M
kind; you have not spoken to me-
"Signorina, how could l speak? If l
open my lips the signoTina cries, Leave
me in peace Besides, my heart has been
weighed down. These are dark days for
the country"
What do you mean, Nunziata ?" asked
Francesca. A swift flash of remembrance
darted through her brain.
"Aimel While the signorina has been
shut up alone, taking no part in our
troubles, many hearts have been broken.
There have been soldiers here soldiers
there, Garibaldina everywhere, and the
news of battles, and every town has wild
ows and orphans, and mothers weeping for
their sons" Francesca was stunned. All
this time she had forgotten the struggles of
her country.
"There was horrible battle few days
ago, and much slaughter. Many OF our
youth went this morning at daybreak to
Join the Garibaldina." Annunziata's lips
trembled. Francesca's heart gave a great
bound and then stood still. Her lips turned
white. Her great eyes dilated with sudden
terror.
Annunziata began again: (" The signori- |
ma has told US all that she wishes to die, |
and lie down below in the little church |
yard. 1 care for nothing, nothing, let me
die = cried the signorina. But the Signor
Antonio, good patient soul, he, too, cares
for nothing now; nothing for himself. |
The Signor Antonio has gone to die for his |
country"
Nunziatar' There was harsh jarring !
of pain in Francescas cry. But Annun- |
ziata went on with touch of that cruelty |
that sometimes leaps up in the gentlest |
creatures.
"Yes, the Signor Antonio wastes no
breath on words. He has gone to die, and
all because the signorina's soft Italian heart
has gone away, and another heart come,
hard as steel, hard as iron, harder than the
marble of Carrara.'
Annunziata, You are wicked, cruel
old woman ' cried Francesca, passionately.
You know that it is not true. You know
that Antonio would never have refused the
call of his country" Her great eyes were
flashing, shining so brilliantly that her
face seemed TRANSPORTED in the tremulous
glow Annunzata thought she was more
beautiful than all the saints in heaven.
They were both so wretched, and their
hearts beat in harmony of sorrow; but
they were also angry and excited and IN
forgiving.
"Ahi The signorina is happy to console
herself so easily" moaned Annunziata, as
she went away down the large flight of
stairs.
sIThis sharp touch of iifes reality worked
a change in Francesca. She was pursued
by haunting uneasiness for her brother
Antonio. She insisted fercely to herself
that he was merely brother. The best
and kindest of brothers-a more faithful
slave would never be found-but still
brother only. She crept down stairs. The
professore was in his studio his head bent
over large tome.
"Babbo, don't bring any of the students
here, and then l will have my dinner with
you, she said.
The professore looked up with preoc-
black head and promised obedience.
But somehow, dinner alone with babbo,
while Annunzata lowered reproachfully
near, oppressed Francesca. She and babbo
never had much to say to each other, but
now she seemed to have lost touch of him
altogether. Some chord that had bound
her to him had snapped. In tiny world
they stood wide distances apart. Was it
that Antonio, with his quick sympathy
and gentle tact, had revealed these two OPP
site beings to one another and united them
in the light of his large understanding?
Truly there was great void without An
tonic. She never remembered a time
when he had not filed her life with
sense of tenderness and protecting love.
Yet till he was gone she hardly knew he
was there Strange and inexplicable
enigma 1t all came upon her now in the
| light of revelation. If Antonio never
came home again, how little and empty
her life would be! A sharp pang of re-
morse smote her, which dulled into
gnawing pain as the days dragged by in the
shadow of suspense.
She liked now TO sit under the shade of
| the gray green olive trees on the sunny
vine trellised terrace.
She could hear the wind rustliDg in the
bamboos in the dry ditch. Ii was there